Chapter 1632: During The Day (Part 1) The three of them gathered on the rooftop of their dorm, staring out toward the distant forge where thick plumes of dark smoke poured into the sky. From here the heat shimmered visibly above the buildings, and even the distant clang of metal on metal rang clearly through the air. They needed a plan, one that would let them enter the massive central furnace during the day, while every forger in the Red Wing Pack was active and working inside. It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t even remotely safe. But if they were going to uncover the truth behind Jack’s strange behaviour, the missing family, and the shattered house that Gary had discovered, they needed answers, and the answers might very well be inside that forbidden furnace. “I know this is going to sound crazy,” Gary said, leaning forward with both hands gripping the railing. His eyes narrowed on the rising smoke. “But we could try running and jumping in from the top.” Kai turned toward him slowly, expression frozen between disbelief and horror. Lupus spoke first. “That furnace is incredibly hot,” Lupus said, shaking his head firmly. “All of the heat rises straight up through the top. Entering from above would mean going through the hottest point. That’s where the flames concentrate before they spread through the channels.” He tapped his claw against the rooftop stone as he spoke, more like a teacher correcting a reckless student than a warrior discussing strategy. “It’s different entering for just a moment at night,” Lupus continued. “Crossing the edge of the flames when the furnace is powered down is doable. But during the day the temperature spikes. The shell traps heat inside and makes everything multiply ten times hotter. Even our Werewolf bodies won’t come out unscathed.” Gary let out a nervous laugh. “Right... yeah. If we had our full powers, it wouldn’t be an issue. My Ashen Lycan form can resist extreme heat, but in this state the system suppression won’t let it trigger.” “And remember what the system told us originally,” Kai added. “If we die here, we die in real life. This isn’t like the old Beast World training. We can’t recklessly test our limits just because it’s the past.” Silence fell for a moment as the three stared out over the buildings. All the obvious choices were deadly. Jumping from above risked burning alive. Entering from outside meant passing through the fully active forge, which was just as suicidal. And sneaking in from the ground floor risked being caught by dozens of trained Werewolf craftsmen. Finally Kai exhaled sharply, clapping his hands together. “Okay. We’ll do what we always do. Use our strengths, cause chaos, and pray the system doesn’t decide to punish us.” That was how their plan was born. When the three of them entered the forge again that afternoon, pretending they wanted another lesson, the Head Forger’s reaction was immediate and dramatic. “You two again?” the old Werewolf groaned, rubbing his temples before dropping his hands in despair. “No, no, no! Useless! Absolutely useless! Have either of you ever held a hammer before? Have you ever created anything with your hands? Anything at all?” Gary muttered under his breath, “Does a war hammer count?” but he didn’t argue. He knew exactly what the forger meant. Kai wasn’t any better. Both of them were hopeless when it came to crafting, matching the exact memories of their previous attempt, where the Head Forger had nearly cried watching them ruin perfectly good metals. Meanwhile Lupus slipped naturally into his role near the back, hammering confidently, earning small nods of approval from nearby forgers. He no longer needed supervision, which was perfect for the next stage of their plan. Gary picked up his hammer again, and the sound of their poor attempts filled the area, the clumsy clangs, the mistimed strikes, the metal bending at odd angles. Kai struck the heated metal too early, too late, or at completely the wrong angle. Sparks flew everywhere. “Hey!” Kai snapped suddenly. “You’re doing it wrong. Are you working with your eyes closed?” “Of course I’m doing it with my eyes closed!” Gary snapped back. “Every time I swing this stupid hammer, sparks are flying all over the place! And look at yours, your weapon won’t harden at all! It’s still mush!” 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺 “What did you say?” Kai snarled. Their voices were deliberately louder now, pitched perfectly to draw attention. Several forgers paused mid-swing, glancing over. Gary slammed his half-shaped metal chunk down. “If your weapon can’t even get hard, maybe it’s because you’ve got a problem with things not getting hard in general!” Kai’s jaw dropped, and laughter erupted around them. “Ohhhh, you asked for it!” Kai shouted. He grabbed his newly shaped weapon, still dull, unsharpened, and utterly unfit for combat, and swung it straight at Gary. Gary reacted instantly. His arm transformed, muscles bulging, fur spreading across the limb. He used Qi to harden the limb further, blocking the strike cleanly. The dull weapon bent against his arm like wet clay. The forgers shouted in surprise. And that was when Kai let out a roar and transformed fully, his Werewolf form bursting forth as he dived toward Gary. Gary transformed as well, meeting him head-on. The two clashed, tumbling across the smithing floor, snarling and growling dramatically. The forgers backed away, then started cheering. “Looks like we’ve got a real fight!” “They’re evenly matched! No need to stop them yet!” “Good entertainment for once!” The Head Forger, meanwhile, rubbed his forehead with a deep sigh. “I knew something would go wrong today... but I never imagined this.” All eyes were glued to Gary and Kai. Exactly as planned. And while the chaos peaked, while the forge workers shouted and circled around the brawling pair, nobody noticed the large furnace door open quietly. Lupus slipped inside. The heat hit him instantly, an intense wall of scorching air that burned his nose and stung his eyes. Flames flickered in front of him, rising and falling in steady waves. He gritted his teeth, activating every ounce of Qi he could push through his body to resist the flames. He pushed forward. His vision blurred for a moment from the heat, but then it cleared. And what he saw in the very center of the furnace froze him more effectively than ice ever could. A woman. Chained by her wrists and ankles. Bound to the furnace floor with what looked like beast-tier shackles. The exact shackles he had seen the night before, only now, instead of lying empty, they held someone. Someone alive. ***** For updates on MWS and future works, follow me on my social media below. Instagram: jksmanga P.a.t.r.e.o.n: jksmanga